Becoming a Midwife in Oklahoma – OK

Midwifery is a career for those who have strong people skills, a good bedside manner, as well as medical skills and some degree of scientific aptitude.

Are you interested in learning how to become a midwife in Oklahoma? As in many states, there are two paths into the profession: Some enter by way of nursing programs, while others enter the field directly. In Oklahoma, it’s only the nurse-midwives who are licensed by the state, however. MANA lists Oklahoma among the states where direct entry midwifery is legal by way of statutory inference or judicial inference. As compared with some other states, Oklahoma’s direct entry midwives have less regulation… and less inherent legal protection. Midwives may voluntarily become members of various groups, though, including the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM), which has among its members both nurses and lay practitioners. Oklahoma is somewhat unique in that there is no law that requires women who have had a C-section previously to give birth in a hospital.

Aspiring nurse-midwives, by contrast, are educated in graduate programs, which are generally housed within nursing schools. Those entering the midwifery profession through nursing programs will find that the science requirements, and prerequisites for program entrance may be considerable. Once within a program, students can expect classes in pharmacology, medical terminology, and professional standards and behaviors as well as classes in maternal care.